The Schwinn 170 vs Schwinn 130 get compared side by side in full.
To help you see the differences between the two.
And hopefully help it makes it clearer which is the best option and the clear winner for you.
There are a lot of similarities between the bikes beyond their looks.
They have a similar construction and much the same console.
But there are some important differences.
The big question though is whether those differences are enough to answer the big question as to why the Schwinn 170 costs more than the Schwinn 130.
Before looking at that here is a quick look at both of the bikes.
Schwinn 170 Upright Bike
This is a bestselling upright exercise bike. It does come with a lot of features for the price. You do seem to get a lot for your money.
It comes with a good range of accessories including a water bottle holder, speakers, fan, media shelf, a charger for media devices and a fitness account you can upload to using a USB stick.
The 25 levels of magnetic resistance is incremental and along with the belt drive and flywheel it operates quietly and smoothly. This allows you to get your workout when you want without disturbing others whatever the time is day or night.
There are plenty of pre-set programs to choose from to help you with your exercise that cater for different fitness levels and goals.
Schwinn 130 Upright Bike
This is another popular upright exercise bike. It also comes with a good range of features to provide a comfortable and convenient workout.
It doesn’t come with quite as many features as the upgraded model but it still comes with a good share of them. It also comes at a lower price to reflect this.
It has the same accessories. You also get a magnetic resistance, belt drive, flywheel, workout programs and the ability to upload your workouts to the Schwinn Fitness Account and myfitnesspal.com.
It is quiet too – so you can exercise and watch TV without turning it up or waking others up if you are exercising at night.
The bike is stable and there is no shaking or moving around so you just can get on with your workout or anything else you might be doing at the same time.
The Differences
Rather than go through all the similarities I thought it would be much more useful to give you the facts and explanations of where they differ. If you want more details there is a more complete list below. The big differences of the bikes are:
Crank Type. The Schwinn 170 has a 3 piece crank and the Schwinn 130 has a one piece crank. A 3 piece crank is stronger and more durable than the single piece one. The shape of the 170 crank also provides a better clearance for your ankles and heel. On the Schwinn 130 those with size 10 feet and above (it seems) find that they bang these on the crank arm due in part to the shape of it.
Number Of Programs. The 170 has more workout programs that you follow along to. It has more pre-set profile type programs with a total of 12 compared to 9. It has one more program in each of the categories of fun rides, challenges and mountains.
It also has an extra heart rate control programs with a total of 9 programs. The extra being one that you customize the heart rate.
Both come with a recovery test programs and the 170 comes with a fitness test for beginners and advanced in addition.
They do give you more variety in your workouts to keep you challenged and motivated.
Forearm Rests. The handlebars of both bikes are covered but only the 170 has elbow pads. These provide more comfort for when you want to lean forward on to the handlebars. They help to stop your arms starting to hurt and ache.
Seat Adjustments. The Schwinn 170 gives you the ability to move the seat vertically and horizontally. The Schwinn 130 only gives you the option to move it vertically. The additional adjustment of the 170 means you can get a better fit for your upper body as well as your legs.
Weight. The 130 is about 4 lbs lighter than the 170 due in part to the extra seat adjustment. Both have rollers at the front that you tip the bike onto when you want to move it from place to place.
User Profiles. The Schwinn 170 has double the profiles that the Schwinn 130 with a maximum of 4. This gives the ability to track and monitor 4 people’s workouts . It gives you better measures as well as allowing them to upload them up to the Schwinn Fitness Account and myfitnesspal.com.
Number Of Resistance Levels. The Schwinn 170 has 5 more resistance levels than the Schwinn 130. Rather than give a wider range of resistance in total this provides smaller increments between the levels.
Pedal Size. The Schwinn 170 has oversized pedals where as the Schwinn 130 has standard size. The larger pedal size makes it easier to get a good fit as well as providing a better platform for pushing.
Heart Rate Monitoring. The Schwinn 170 allows you to use a non-coded heart rate strap (Polar) to monitor your heart rate and to use with the heart rate control programs. This is in addition to the hand pulse sensors (the Schwinn 130 has these too). The heart rate strap normally provides a more reliable reading than hand pulse sensors. Many people can’t get hand pulse sensors to work reliably for them whatever bike it is on.
What About The Price?
When I checked the Schwinn 170 was similar to the Schwinn 130. However, that can fluctuate depending on what deals are available.
Which Should I Buy?
Both bikes are well regarded by customers on the whole, so it does come down really to the features of them. You get more with the Schwinn 170.
If you are interested in heart rate control programs (training in heart rate zones) and monitoring your heart rate it is worth going with the Schwinn 170 so that if you can’t get the hand pulse sensors to work you aren’t left with monitoring this separately.
If there are more than 2 people going to be using the bike and you like to monitor and track your performances separately then the Schwinn 170 is a better option.
Also, if your feet are size 10 or over you probably want to get the Schwinn 170 so that you don’t bang your ankles or heals on the crank arm – it is possible to avoid this on the 130 but you may need to remove the straps or buy pedal extenders or be careful how you position your feet on the pedals.
If none of those extra features are what you after then you still get a good upright exercise bike that you can get a low impact cardio workout in your home with the Schwinn 130 and save yourself some money (but do check the prices first).
The Side By Side Comparison
Here is a list of the features, specifications and dimensions of the bike to give you a good run down of how they compare – where they are the same and where they are different.
| Feature | Schwinn 170 | Schwinn 130 |
|---|---|---|
| Resistance Type | Magnetic | Magnetic |
| Resistance Levels | 25 | 20 |
| Pedals | Straps | Straps |
| Weighted Flywheel | 13 lbs | 13 lbs |
| Bike Weight | 62.8 lbs | 58.4 lbs |
| Max User Weight | 300 lbs | 300 lbs |
| Min User Height | 5 ft 0 ins | 5 ft 0 ins |
| Max User Height | 6ft 1 ins | 6 ft 1 ins |
| Handlebars Adjustability | Yes - Angle | Yes - Angle |
| Seat Adjustability | Vertical Horizontal | Vertical |
| Bike Dimensions | Height 55.6 ins Width 21.4 ins Length 41.3 ins | Height 55.6 ins Width 21.4 ins Length 41.3 ins |
| Drive Type | Flywheel Belt Drive | Flywheel Belt Drive |
| Accessories | Water bottle holder Electronics ledge 3 speed fan Speakers | Water bottle holder Electronics ledge 3 speed fan Speakers |
| Console | Yes | Yes |
| Pre-Set Programs | 29 | 22 |
| User Profiles | 4 | 2 |
| Frame Construction | Steel | Steel |
| Transport Wheels | Yes | Yes |
| Quiet | Yes | Yes |
| Pedal Size | Over-sized | Standard |
| Crank | 3 piece | 1 piece |
| Seat Padded | Yes | Yes |
| Heart Rate Sensors | Yes | Yes |
| Heart Rate Sensor Type | Hand Pulse Strap Compatible | Hand Pulse |
Hopefully you know have all the information to decide on which is the right upright exercise bike for you. It would be great to hear what your thinking is on the two bikes.